


I wouldn't change it for the world

by wonthetrade



Series: baby, i'm crazy 'bout you [2]
Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, F/M, Rule 63
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 06:23:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17156879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonthetrade/pseuds/wonthetrade
Summary: “I don’t think I want to be pregnant.”The primitive part of Jamie shrivels a little, but he knows she can’t see most of his reaction in the dark of the car. Maybe that had been the point. “Okay.”





	I wouldn't change it for the world

**Author's Note:**

> Advent 2018 and apparently the first post-GB fic for Segs and Benny. Who knew?!
> 
> Merry Christmas kids!

The holiday charity skate is not new. There is literally not a new thing about it. The kids are a bit different and Jamie thinks there might be a staff turnover, but when it comes to the concept, it’s nothing different. There are kids, skates, ice, chairs, and Tyler. Tyler who is so good with children. Jamie already knows that, of course, he’s seen her with Seguin’s Stars more than a handful of times. Yet there’s something about it, despite it all being exactly the same, that is completely different. Maybe it’s how long they’ve been together, maybe it’s the speed at which their relationship went from “totally not talking” to “disgustingly married and so proud”.

Regardless, it’s different this year. It feels different. He finds himself seeking her out with more regularity, watching her drag kids behind her, or pause and chat to one that’s maybe looking a little terrified. It’s his second favourite Tyler, really, the one that’s just a normal human being to all of these tiny bodies.

It also gets him thinking though. More than thinking really because his mind is oh so helpfully providing him with images of a pig-tailed little girl, or a messy haired little boy, racing around after Gerry as Cash and Marshall watch on benevolently. That’s not a surprise either. Jamie has no idea if Tyler wants kids, but he most certainly knows that he does.

It’s been hovering there for a while, a step in their relationship they definitely have to discuss at some point in the near future, in case there’s a time limit. He doesn’t honestly know her opinion on it, either. It’s not something that’s come up, and none of the other women in the league have gone down that road yet, so it’s not something Jamie even thinks is on her radar. It isn’t really on his, except for the fact that some of those instincts are so obviously on display right here.

“Deep thoughts, Bennie.” She bumps his shoulder as she says it, drawing his attention to her and the little smirk playing about her mouth. “You were staring again.”

“I’m always staring,” he murmurs, because it makes her lean into him. He lets himself wrap an arm around her and kiss her head. “Do you want kids?”

She whirls on him. “You want to do this here? Now? Are you fucking serious?”

It’s a bit more of a visceral reaction than he was anticipating. After all, Tyler’s the one who does things impulsively. Jamie thinks things through.

(Which isn’t true. Life altering decisions Tyler has to think through, thoroughly. But she also doesn’t really think about life altering decisions until they’re staring her in the face. Jamie’s just getting ahead of the game. Because he knows Tyler.)

“Of course not,” he says patiently, keeps his eyes on the kids. “But have you even thought about it?”

She stops shoving at him, which he’ll take as a minor win. When he looks down at her, he knows he’d been right: she hasn’t thought about it. She certainly is now.

She opens her mouth to reply, but a small human barrels into them both. “Miss Tyler, come on! You said you’d race in one minute and it’s been a hundred.”

The switch flips immediately, delight taking over Tyler’s face as she looks down at the child. “A hundred minutes, eh?”

The kid rolls her eyes, all attitude and sass and there’s that picture of the pig-tailed girl again, giving her mom attitude because she’s her mother’s daughter. Jamie knows he needs to curb the emotion before he puts himself in more hot water, but by the look on Tyler’s face, a little curious and more than a little irritated – or aggravated, whatever – Jamie knows he’s been caught.

“Not now,” he repeats because it’s not important. It’s not life or death and it certainly isn’t going to change their relationship. Not for him anyway.

It doesn’t come up again until they’re in the car, Tyler staring out of the window like she wants to ignore him. Jamie leaves her to it. Contemplative Tyler isn’t one he sees all the time, but it’s one he knows needs space. He’s humming a little to himself, to keep himself alert when she says, “I don’t think I want to be pregnant.”

The primitive part of Jamie shrivels a little, but he knows she can’t see most of his reaction in the dark of the car. Maybe that had been the point. “Okay.”

“Okay?” she sits up straighter. “Mister totally on the straight and narrow just says okay?”

There’s a hysterical note to her voice that tells him to tread carefully, so he doesn’t say anything for a good couple of beats. “I think pregnancy, while involving two people in the beginning, is mostly on you.”

“It’s a hockey season,” she says bluntly.

“Including pre-season and playoffs,” he agrees. “It’s a lot of time.”

She watches him in the way she does when she thinks he’s telling her what he thinks she wants to hear. It always makes him antsy. He still hates when it feels like she doesn’t trust him.

“You want kids.”

Jamie takes his time checking his blindspot and changing lanes before he glances at her. He can’t get this wrong, is the thing. Yeah,” he says, and sees her flinch. “But-“

“But not if I don’t want to?” she asks with a dismissive scoff. “You were made to be a dad, Jamie.”

Instinct makes him pull into a parking lot and kill the engine. It takes a lot of self-control to keep him from reaching out for her. He kind of wants to shake her, and kind of wants to hug her. “For the record, if this is about your ability to be a parent, that’s not in question for me. You’d be a good mom.” He shakes his head when she immediately opens her mouth. “Not a question, Ty.”

“Stubborn,” she replies, but sounds pleased.

He watches her for another beat. “We could adopt.”

Tyler sucks in an audible breath.

“It wouldn’t be settling,” he says slowly, because he knows Tyler’s insecurities rather intimately. “It’s still… they’d still be my kid.”

Her breath blows out, hard and long. It takes her a few tries to grip his hand. Jamie’s the one who has to catch her fingers. “It’s not the same…”

“It can be,” he argues. “You and I both know that family doesn’t have to be related by blood.” When she doesn’t immediately jump in, he goes on, “We don’t have to decide now. It’s a lot of paperwork and a lot of waiting and hoping and maybes…” He cuts himself off when Tyler reaches over to cover their entwined hands with her free one.

“You’ve thought about this.”

There’s a lump in his throat when he nods. “I didn’t know how you felt about having kids, and Jordie’s always said she hates the infant and toddler stages because of diapers-“

“Jamie.”

He turns in time to catch her leaning in and meets her mouth in a gentle kiss. She laughs a little awkwardly when she pulls back. “This is not how I expected this conversation to go.”

Jamie stays silent. He doesn’t want to risk saying the wrong thing, and out of the two of them, isn’t the one with a low tolerance for silence. Sure enough.

“I knew you wanted kids. Like, it’s written in every freaking line of who you are. And I figured, you know, we’d get around to talking about it and you’d argue that it was ‘just a season’, or ‘just a year’ and I’d feel like shit for not wanting to give birth. I’m not even sure I can anymore.”

“Tyler-“

“But adopting,” she interrupts, nodding a little. “Adopting I can do, you know?”

“Of course-“

She’s laughing into the kiss she uses to cut him off. It’s endearing and annoying, but Tyler’s laughing to Jamie has to admit he’ll take it.


End file.
